Carlow Connects – Reaching out to Carlow connections across the world

In this digital age, with Carlow’s emigrants scattered far and wide across the world, it is easier than ever to stay connected and linked to home. Carlow’s reach across the globe has been substantial, with many famous names and faces claiming Barrowside roots, including Walt Disney, Nobel laureate George Bernard Shaw, Patrick Robert Reid, artist Frank O’Meara, as well as contemporary names such as Michael Flatley, Olivia O’Leary, Saoirse Ronan and Kathryn Thomas.

Recognising the generations of Carlovians who left home to seek economic opportunities elsewhere, including those who left in recent years, Carlow now seeks to grow meaningful connections with its global diaspora.  Carlow County Council is developing a Diaspora and Twinning Strategy that seeks to identify and develop opportunities to harness County pride and engage with Carlow’s national and international diaspora, enhancing connections with home and developing social, economic and cultural returns for both the diaspora and their home communities.  The strategy will also explore the potential opportunities available through town twinning arrangements.

As a first step in developing this strategy, Carlow County Council would like to hear the views of Carlow’s diaspora – about their life, their connection to home and how this connection shapes their world. 

A short survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B28K37T. This survey will be open until 8 January, and the results will make an important contribution to Carlow’s strategy for engagement with its global diaspora. 

For more information or to make a submission, please contact Kieran Comerford or visit www.carlow.ie or www.localenterprise.ie/carlow